Dewey's Readathon Closing Survey

I fell asleep around 5:00 am. I was so tired the pages started to become blurry and I was having a hard time reading, so I just went to sleep. I finished reading Creepshow by Stephen King and about half of Halloween II by Jack Martin before I fell asleep.  

Total pages read: 712
Total books read: 4 1/2

Closing Survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

5:00 am because that's when I fell asleep.

2. Tell us all the books you read!

Halloween by Curtis Richards, Halloween Night by R.L. Stine, Halloween Night II by R.L. Stine, Creepshow by Stephen King and half of Halloween II by Jack Martin.

3. Which books would you recommend to other read-a-thoners?

I really liked Halloween by Curtis Richards - if you love the movie like I do, you'll enjoy the book.

4. What's a really rad thing we could do during the next read-a-thon that would make you smile?

I always have so much fun every time, I can't think of a thing to add.

5. How likely are you to participate in the read-a-thon again? 

I will definitely be participating in the April read-a-thon.

Dewey's Readathon Update

I'm struggling to stay awake right now. I've started to doze off a few times and I'm not sure how much longer I can make it. I'm drinking an iced coffee right now so hopefully that will help.

Since my last post, I've finished reading Halloween Night and Halloween Night II by R.L. Stine. I don't know if it's because they're intended for a younger audience, but I found them very predictable - I figured out who the villain was before the end of the first chapter. I've read lots of other YA novels that weren't remotely as predictable and I feel like even a 12-year-old would figure out the identity of the killer immediately. I also hated the self-centred main character, Brenda. In both books, she complains about her cousin stealing her boyfriend, then goes on to say that both her boyfriends dated one of her best friends a few months before she started seeing them. Then she makes her friends listen to her cry about her cousin "stealing" them away from her. And she wonders why someone would want to play pranks on her!

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now?

I just finished Halloween by Curtis Richards. I'm going to read Halloween Night by R.L. Stine next.

2. How many books have you read so far?

Just one.

3. What book are you looking forward to most in the second half of the readathon?

Halloween Night by R.L. Stine 

4. Have you had any interruptions? How did you deal with those?

I had to work for four hours this afternoon, so I only managed to read one book so far. I'm hoping to get a lot of reading done in the second half of the readathon. 

5. What surprises you most about the readathon, so far?

How tired I already am at 8:00 pm. Usually I make it to the end of the readathon, but I don't know about tonight. 

10 Years in 10 Books

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Dewey's Readathon, for this challenge I'm supposed to pick one book recommendation for each year of the readathon (which started in 2007). These are all five star reads (in my opinion) and I highly recommend all of them. They're all horror, so if you're looking for a spooky read for Halloween, any of these would do nicely.

2007 - Ghoul by Brian Keene

Brian Keene is one of my favourite writers and this is my favourite of his books. It's a coming of age story set in the 80s where three friends discover a ghoul living in the cemetery while building a clubhouse one summer. I love coming of age stories and this is one of the best I've read. Ghoul was also made into a film for the Chiller TV channel.

2008 - Population Zero by Wrath James White

A very gory book about an activist who takes the growing population matter into his own hands. I remember reading this book in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. 

2009 - Audrey's Door by Sarah Langan

Very good haunted house story reminiscent of The Haunting of Hill House and Rosemary's Baby. 

2010 - Dweller by Jeff Strand

I remember loving and hating this book at the same time because I bawled my eyes out at the end, but I guess if I was so emotionally invested in the characters to cry over them, it must've been a pretty good book. Dweller is about a boy who befriends a bigfoot-like monster in the woods. 

2011- Samson and Denial by Robert Ford

A very unique horror story - part crime thriller involving the Russian mafia and part supernatural horror story involving a mummified head. 

2012 - Die, You Bastard! Die! by Jan Kozlowski 

A fast-paced read that's a bit like a book version of I Spit on Your Grave. In this book, a woman gets revenge on her father, who molested her. 

2013 - Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

I loved this book just as much (maybe even more) than The Shining. This sequel follows Danny Torrance as he meets a little girl who also has the shining and tries to save her from a group of psychic vampires. 

2014 - Linden Manor by Catherine Cavendish

This book was part of Samhain Publishing's gothic horror anthology, which consisted of four novellas. A very creepy gothic horror story where the main character visits an old mansion to find out the origin of a nursery rhyme. 

2015 - A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

An original twist on an exorcism story. The rave reviews are right, this book is amazing. 

2016 - Children of the Dark by Jonathan Janz

Another coming of age tale, this one about an escaped serial killer and bloodthirsty creatures in the woods. I loved this book so much, I hope there's a sequel!

2017 - Paperbacks From Hell by Grady Hendrix and Will Errickson

I know this list is supposed to be 10 books, but even though 2017 isn't over yet, I already know this is my favourite book of the year. I just finished reading it and I already want to re-read it. I have added so many books to my wishlist thanks to this book. The only thing I don't like about it is that now everyone is looking for those books too and now they're going to be harder to find (a book that has been on my wishlist for years went from $5 to $200!). 

Dewey's Readathon

Today is Dewey's Readathon! This afternoon I have to work for four hours, so I won't be able to read for the full 24 hours, but I'm going to try to read as much as I can in those 20 hours.

Books I plan on reading:

I mostly chose books that take place on Halloween because I've had the Halloween II and Halloween III novelizations for a long time, but I've been waiting until I had this first one (which I finally found this past summer) to read them. 

1. Halloween by Curtis Richards

2. Halloween II by Jack Martin

3. Halloween III by Jack Martin

4. Halloween Night by R.L. Stine

5. Halloween Night II by R.L. Stine

6. Creepshow by Stephen King

On my Kindle:

7. The Haunted Forest Tour by James A. Moore and Jeff Strand

8. 1922 by Stephen King

9. The Halloween Children by Brian James Freeman and Norman Prentiss

On my iPad: 

10. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #7 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

11. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #8 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Snacks I will be consuming:

- Spinach dip with pumpernickel bread

- Sweet Marie bars

- Monster cookie cheese ball

- Big Foot gummies

- So Fresh cold brew coffee

- One Drop banana split iced coffee

Opening Survey

1. What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

2. Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

Halloween Night and Halloween Night II by R.L. Stine because I'm excited to listen to the Teen Creeps podcast (a really awesome podcast about 80s and 90s YA horror) about those books on Halloween. 

3. Which snack are you most looking forward to?

The monster cookie cheese ball I made because I've never tried this recipe before and I love sweet cheese balls and monster cookies. 

4. Tell us a little something about yourself!

I celebrated my 30th birthday on Thursday. 

5. If you participated in the last readathon, what's the one thing you'll do differently today?

I want to read more than I did last time. 

BOOK REVIEW: The Breeze Horror by Candace Caponegro

Bloodshot Books 2017 edition

When a space shuttle carrying toxic waste collides with a meteor, contaminated rain pours down, infecting everyone it touches, causing their bodies to decompose, but leaving their minds intact. The frightened residents of Sea Breeze Island quarantine the infected on the beach. The "beachers" come to resent the "norms" and plan their revenge, becoming more sadistic as their bodies become more decayed.

A different kind of zombie book, these zombies—or beachers—aren't interested in eating brains. They prefer inflicting pain and torturing the norms. The beachers aren't brain-dead monsters. Their anger and hatred of friends and family is because of how they were treated after they became infected.

It's refreshing to read a book that lets you get inside the head of a zombie. They had motivations and personalities, just like the rest of the characters. It's always more interesting when a villain isn't just inherently evil. I even felt sorry for a few of them. Are the monsters the unlucky ones caught in the rain, or the ones who refused to help the infected?

Onyx 1988 edition

But I don't think what the beachers do to the norms by the end of the book is justified by any means. It gets pretty gory and definitely isn't for the faint of heart.

Although I could empathize with the beachers, the norms were even more compelling characters. I was rooting for the main character, Sandy, and her young son, to get off the island and escape the beachers.

The Breeze Horror was originally published in 1988 and recently republished by Bloodshot Books. Contrary to the original cover (pictured on the right), no killer curtains make an appearance. Highly recommended for zombie fans looking for something different.

Rating: 4/5

Dewey's Readathon Closing Survey

I did it! I made it to the end! Near the end I just read comics (a very dark updated version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch where the Spellmans are Satan worshipers and cannibals) because I was so tired. I used to love Sabrina comics and the TV show and I loved this darker, gorier version even more.

Total pages read: 839

Closing Survey

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?

Around 5:00 am I was considering just going to bed, but I pushed through.

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a reader engaged for next year? 

Children of the Dark by Jonathan Janz, Dark Avenging Angel by Catherine Cavendish, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the readathon next season?

No, I thought everything was great.

4. What do you think worked really well in this year's readathon?

There were some neat challenges. I tend to forget about them when I'm reading, but I had fun participating in the #CoverFromMemory challenge.

5. How many books did you read?

7 (4 were comics)

6. What were the names of the books you read?

The Immortal by Christopher Pike, Elizabeth by Jessica Hamilton, The Secret Loves of Geek Girls edited by Hope Nicholson, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina issues 1-4.

7. What book did you enjoy most?

Elizabeth by Jessica Hamilton

8. What book did you enjoy least?

I enjoyed all of them.

9. How likely are you to participate in the readathon again? Which role would you be likely to take next time?

I'll definitely be a reader again. I'm already counting the days.

Dewey's Readathon Update #2

I'm still up...for now - I can barely keep my eyes open. I've been trying to focus on reading, which is why I haven't posted all night.

I finished Elizabeth by Jessica Hamilton, which I found to be very unsettling and I highly recommend. Right now it's storming and completely silent except for the wind and thunder, and I'm pretty spooked thinking about this novel. Definitely won't be looking into any mirrors tonight (this morning?).

In my last post, I said I was looking forward to reading The Cellar by Richard Laymon in this half of the readathon, but I couldn't concentrate on it so I switched to a graphic novel, The Secret Loves of Geek Girls edited by Hope Nicholson. I just finished reading it (great read) and I think I'll read Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol. 1: The Crucible by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa next.

Mid-Event Survey

1. What are you reading right now?

Elizabeth by Jessica Hamilton

2. How many books have you read so far?

1 and 3/4

3. What book are you looking forward to most in the second half of the readathon?

The Cellar by Richard Laymon

4. Have you had any interruptions? How did you deal with those?

My boyfriend has been a bit distracting, but he's playing video games now, so I think I'll be able to get more reading done in the second half. 

5. What surprises you most about the readathon, so far?

That I spent all day reading in bed and didn't fall asleep. 

Dewey's Readathon Update #1

I've been reading for 7 hours and I've only finished one book, The Immortal by Christopher Pike. I really enjoyed it and wish I would've read it sooner, possibly when I bought it at a yard sale 17 years ago. I especially enjoyed the parts with Josie's father's screenplay. I love how Pike often has a story within a story in his books, like with the Remember Me trilogy and The Midnight Club (my favourite Pike books).

Next I think I'll read Elizabeth by Jessica Hamilton/ Ken Greenhall because it's been on my shelf for a long time - I had it in my stack for the last April readathon - and I've been seeing lots of good reviews for it on Goodreads since it was re-released by Valancourt Books earlier this month.

Readathon Mini Challenge: #CoverFromMemory

For this challenge, you think of a book cover from memory and attempt to draw it without Googling it or pulling it off your bookshelf.

I chose It by Stephen King because I thought it would be easy to draw, but I am a terrible artist. I even forgot the sailboat! Check out my drawing below. Can you tell which is the original?

Dewey's Readathon

Once again it's time for Dewey's Readathon, an event I look forward to participating in twice a year. I'm going to try to read the full 24 hours, but I have a bad cough that kept me up last night so I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it.  

Books I plan on reading:

1. Elizabeth by Jessica Hamilton

2. The Cellar by Richard Laymon

3. Keeper of the Children by William H. Hallahan

4. The Immortal by Christopher Pike

5. The Secret Loves of Geek Girls edited by Hope Nicholson 

On my Kindle:

6. Exorcist Road by Jonathan Janz

7. Dream Woods by Patrick Lacey

8. Chasing Ghosts by Glenn Rolfe

9. The Con Season by Adam Cesare

On my iPad: 

10. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Vol. 1: The Crucible by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

Snacks I will be consuming:

- Spinach dip with pumpernickel bread

- Bagels

- S'mores Goldfish

- Big Foot gummies

- Reese's Pieces eggs

- Jello strawberry cheesecake pudding

- Iced coffee

- Chai tea

Opening Survey

1. What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

2. Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

The Immortal by Christopher Pike because it's been on my shelf since I was about 12 and it's one of the few Christopher Pike books I haven't read. 

3. Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Reese's Pieces eggs - I bought them right after Easter and I've been saving them for today (and having candy in the house and not eating it is really hard for me).

4. Tell us a little something about yourself!

This year I've been trying to read only books I own in physical form (because I have a ridiculous amount), so I tried to choose books for today from my bookshelves. But there are just so many books I want to read on my Kindle that I ended up adding a few to the list.

5. If you participated in the last readathon, what's the one thing you'll do differently today? 

I want to read more than I did last time. 

24 in 48 End Post

I didn't read as much as I planned on because on top of having a dentist appointment and grocery shopping to do, my boyfriend and I had to rush his diabetic cat to the vet. He's fine now, he had low blood sugar, so we had to adjust his insulin dosage.

1. How many books did you read? Pages?

I read three books: Shit Luck by Tiffany Scandal, Dark Avenging Angel by Catherine Cavendish and Mayan Blue by Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason. I read 397 pages. I highly recommend all the books I read. Shit Luck is a fun and unique read told in second person about a woman who is chased by a murderer through the afterlife, being transported into a different world each time he kills her. Dark Avenging Angel is an engrossing read about a woman who has an "angel" that exacts revenge on her enemies. Mayan Blue is a gory read about a professor and a group of students who find proof that the Mayans settled in Georgia and open the doorway to Xibalba, the underworld.

2. How many hours did you read?

About 15

3. What do you think worked well in this readathon?

I like how there are posts on the website every three hours instead of every hour, less distraction so I can read more, haha.

4. What do you think could be done to improve the readathon for next time?

Nothing, I think everything was great!

5. Will you participate in a future 24in48 readathon?

Definitely!

24 in 48 Readathon

Today is the 24 in 48 Readathon! The idea is to read a total of 24 hours over an entire weekend as opposed to staying up a full 24 hours to read, like other readathons I've participated in. I'm hoping to read 12 hours on Saturday and 12 hours on Sunday. I'm starting late because I had a dentist appointment this morning, so I better get reading.

What I'll be reading today:

1. Shit Luck by Tiffany Scandal
2. Dark Avenging Angel by Catherine Cavendish
3. Mayan Blue by Michelle Garza and Melissa Lason
4. Gardens of Babylon by Sara Brooke
5. Manhattan Grimoire by Sandy DeLuca

Intro Survey

1. Where in the world are you reading from this weekend?

    Oakville, Ontario, Canada

2. Have you done the 24in48 readathon before?

   Yes, last summer was my first time.

3. What book are you most excited about reading this weekend? 

    Dark Avenging Angel by Catherine Cavendish because I loved another book I read by her, Linden Manor.

4. Tell us something about yourself.

    My New Year's resolution was to blog more and this is my first blog post of 2017, haha. 

5. Remind us where to find you online this weekend.

    In addition to this blog, I'll be posting on Twitter. You can follow me at @LittlMissZombie.